Few people know exactly where to start when looking to become involved in farm to school. There are so many ways to participate that the task of deciding which ones to pursue can feel a bit daunting. That’s what inspired Cynthia Rorie’s idea of a school seed swap program in Arkansas. Rorie is the Director of Special Programs at The Delta School in Wilson, Arkansas, so she oversees their Garden and Makers educators and creates after school clubs and athletics. The Delta School provides hands-on learning experiences designed to allow kids to discover their personal strengths, including an advanced school garden where various educational opportunities happen. “Gardens are an integral part of the school day,” says Rorie.

Rorie recognizes that not everyone knows where to begin with the logistics of planning and funding. She thought about how beneficial a starter kit with seeds and information for schools would be to help them begin gardens. Rorie wants to help kids learn the entire process of where their food comes from, starting at the beginning. In addition, the continuous crop variation will help keep the kids’ budding interests in the garden alive. Rorie sees the creation of the seed packets as a fun and educational activity for even the younger children, since counting the seeds and writing the labels are tasks with which they can help.

The educational opportunities associated with a seed exchange program has focused Rories interest on schools, but she’s open to expanding to other community gardens and even schools in nearby states. Ideally, an annual seed exchange event would take place, where representatives from the schools can collect new seeds to introduce into their gardens, but no details have yet been finalized. Contact Cynthia with ideas to help get this program off the ground and get new seeds into it!

Meet the Garden Educators, Taylor Starkey and Meghan Minner, who will be leading the seed exchange.

If you’re interested in being a part of this developing program or have questions or ideas, contact Cynthia Rorie!